Al caballo de presente no le mires el diente

If you were to ask any Purple Knight lucky enough to have had Señora Hanson as a Spanish teacher what was learned in her class, you´ll inevitably be regaled with a litany of Spanish proverbs.



Entre col y col, lechuga.

(Variety is the spice of life, or, literally, Between bread and bread, lettuce.)




No hagas un tempestad en un vaso de agua.
(Don´t make a mountain out of a mole hill, or, literally, Don´t make a storm in a glass of water.)

and, of couse, everyone´s favorite

El mundo es un pañuelo.
(It´s a small world, or, literally, The world is a handkerchief.)

I was lucky enough to have Señora Hanson as a teacher for two years. She taught me a lot about the Spanish language (the subjunctive, commands, the dreaded vosotros conjugations), but more importantly, she modeled for me (and my best friends (all of whom happen to have become Spanish teachers, by the way)) what it meant to be a great teacher. Her dedication to her profession and her interest in her students´lives were evident every day in every class.


Monica writes, "Can I share two memories? CAUTION, ADULT CONTENT The first time I was educated in the (in)effectiveness of the rhythm method as a means of birth control was in Spanish class. I distinctly remember turning to Karen with a shocked look on my face, mouthing the question, "Does "el ritmo" mean what I think it means?" She was so subtle, but so effective. I also remember that only 3 of us in Spanish 5 were taking the A.P. test, and Senora made sure we were prepared in every way. She could differentiate before that buzz word even hit the education world. She really did care about her students and their success, and we knew it."

Julie writes, "I had Sra's room when I first got hired here and I was really nervous about filling such big shoes!!!! My most vivid memory was when she called the paper to do a story on you, me, and Em going to Spain to study abroad. I remember being so excited and proud that our teacher was so proud of us. It meant a lot that she went out of her way to recognize our effort and encourage us. I wasn't sure I could handle Spain after only a few years of Spanish but she really encouraged me to believe that I could do it. It was the most life changing decision I have ever made and she probably doesn't even realize she was influential in me deciding to apply to that program."

This week, Señora and her esposo, Dean, graciously invited me to their "retirement" home in Ajijic. While Señora certainly deserves all of the relaxation and leisure retirement has to offer, she instead is heading up a scholarship fund for Mexican students who otherwise wouldn´t be able to attend university, adopting homeless dogs, and inviting in the former student who has decided to take Entre col y col to heart.

How blessed we were to have had Señora as a teacher, and how blessed are the students of Ajijic who are now benefitting from her hard work and generosity.

I´m so glad we were able to cross paths on the pañuelo once again.

Stay tuned: I´m no Frida